Rotating paint scraper

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for removing an outer surface such as a coating of paint from a masonry base includes a rotatable, resilient disc having a support stem extending from one side of the disc, and a set of elongated members extending from the other side. To use the apparatus, the stem is secured in the chuck of a portable power drill, and the disc is rotated and positioned so that the free ends of the elongated members scrape the outer surface from the base.

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States Patent [191 Falleson [4 1 Mar. 27, 1973 1 ROTATING PAINT SCRAPER[76] Inventor: John A. Falleson, 288 Walzford Rd.,

Rochester, N.Y. 14622 [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 133,186

[52] US. Cl. ..15/236 R, 29/81 J, 125/3,

144/115, 145/42 [51 Int. Cl. ..A471 13/02 [58] Field of Search ..l5/236R, 93 R, 104.09,

104.13; 125/3, 5; 29/81 J, 81D,-81G, 81 E, 81 L, 103, 76 R, 97.5R;30/169, 171; 114/222; 144/118, 115; 408/714; 145/42 [56] 9 ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,829,531 10/1931 Neilsen ..l44/11-5 2,703,]19 3/1955 Pullen 144/1 15 902,732, 11/1908 Horn ..144/115 1,097,6735/1914 Restucci ..15/104.13

Primary ExaminerL/eo n G. Machlin Attorney-D. Peter l-lochberg ABSTRACTI Apparatus for removing an outer surface such as a coating of paintfrom a masonry base includes a rotatable, resilient disc'having asupport stem extending from one side of the disc, and a set of elongatedmembers extending from the other side. To use the apparatus, the stem issecured in the chuck of a portable power drill, and the disc is rotatedand positioned so that the free ends of the elongated members scrape theouter surface from the base.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEmzARznm 7 ,0 2

INVENTOR. JOHN A. FALLESON 1 ROTATING PAINT SCRAPER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to devicesfor removing the outer surface from a base, and in particular to devicesfor removing paint from masonry.

2. Description of the Prior Art 7 The removal of paint from a wall orother base can be accomplished in several different ways, dependingprimarily on the nature of the wall. The common mode for removing paintfrom a wooden wall is by means of a hand operated scraper. This methodis tedious but practical since the support surface is smooth and thepaint is thus accessible to the scraper.

The paint on a masonry wall such as one made of brick or concrete doesnot lend itself to removal by conventional scraping methods, since theporosity of the wall and the irregularities thereof make substantialportions of the paint inaccessible. Therefore, paint removal fromsmaller buildings having brick walls is generally done by means of awire brush. The bristles of such a brush are able to work their way intocrevices and porous sections of the wall. There are serious shortcomingsto the use of the wire brush, however. Paint removal with such a brushis a laborious task. Moreover, the bristles become permanently bent in acommon direction after extended use of the brush, and they tend to wipethe paint surface rather than removing the paint.

An alternative to the use of the wire brush is sandblasting, which isusually an effective method for removing paint (or other coating such asdirt) from masonry surfaces. Sandblasting is expensive, requiring costlyequipment and at least two men to operate the equipment. Moreover,sandblasting is a messy operation, and can cause damage to delicatesurfaces. Hence, this method is usually reserved for larger buildings.Likewise, the use of high pressure water is disadvantageous because ofthe substantial equipment involved, and because of the damage caused topaint and putty by the resulting dampness.

The removal of paint from stucco buildings poses the same problems asdoes brick and concrete, and additionally adds further problems byvirtue of the extensive irregularities in the wall surface. Thesurfaceof stucco-covered walls is characterized by waviness and frequent sunkenand raised areas which result from the manner in which the stucco isapplied. The tendency of the bristles of a wire brush to lean in a givendirection is greater for brushes used on stucco than on other masonrybecause of the more frequent transverse forces applied to the bristlesby the stucco as the brush is moved across the stucco surface.Sandblasting and the use of high pressure water on stucco walls posesthe same shortcomings as were mentioned above.

Paint removal means which find applicability in other areas are notsuitable for removing paint from masonry. Thus, chemical paint removerscannot practicably be applied to masonry surfaces, especially in lightof the expansive surfaces found in buildings. Abrasives such assandpaper and sand discs become quickly clogged with paint upon beingrubbed on a painted surface, and their abrasive quality is rapidly lost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to removean exterior surface such as a coating of paint from a base.

Another object is to remove an exterior surface such as a coating ofpaint from a masonry base.

A further object is to remove paint from masonry in a fast and easymanner.

Yet another object is to provide a device for removing paint or othercoating from a masonry such as a stucco wall, in an efficient,practicable, safe, and inexpensive manner.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thedescription to follow and from the appended claims.

The foregoing objects are accomplished according to the invention by theprovision of a rotatable, resilient member having a plurality ofelongated scraping members extending from a forward portion thereof, anda support member extending from the rearward portion thereof. Thesupport member is preferably a metal shaft adapted'to be secured in thechuck of a hand held electric power drill, so that the device can berotated at high speeds. The resilient member can be fabricated fromneoprene. The elongated scraping members can be studs or nails, butconventional machine screws are preferred. The device is thus adaptedfor rotation at high speeds with the free ends of the elongated membersheld in engagement with the masonry surface to remove the paint or othercoating therefrom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross section through the line 1- l of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of a device according to a preferredembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTIONsupport shaft, a resilient base member, and a plurality of elongatedscraping members such as machine screws securely fastened in the supportmember.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there is shown a base member 2in the form of a disc fabricated from a resilient, moldable material.The material is capable of withstanding high rotational speeds andfatigue stresses. A metal stem or shaft 1 is secured to member 2 andextends from the rearward surface thereof. Shaft 1 is adapted to besecured in the chuck of a hand held power drill, and can be configuredaccording to the requirements of any such chuck. Power drills of theforegoing type are well known in the art and numerous models arecommercially available.

A set of conventional machine screws 3 are secured in member 2 andextend from the forward surface thereof. Screws 3 have been found to beparticularly effective (as compared to pins, nails, and concrete nails)because they are long wearing and because the screw thread exposed atthe free end of each screw is selfsharpening during use. Screws 3 arearranged so as to render the device dynamically balanced. Examination ofthe arrangement of screws 3 in FIG. 2 shows that there are twelve screwswhich define four equilateral triangles disposed about the rotationalaxis of member 2 (i.e., the longitudinal axis of shaft 1). The screwsare disposed at four radial distances from the axis so that a wide areais covered by the free ends of the screws when member 2 is rotated.

As indicated previously, the device is preferably made by a moldingprocess for reasons of economy and practicality. The mold material ofmember 2 (e.g., neoprene) is accordingly put in a properly contouredmolding die, and shaft 1 and screws 3 are positioned in the die so thatthey can become integral inserts in the molded product. The head andthreads of screws 3 assure their firm attachment in the mold material.Barbs, flanges, or the like can be provided on shaft 1 to assure itssecure fastening in member 2.

There are alternative ways in which the device could be constructed. Forexample, shaft 1 can extend from the forward side of member 2 and caninclude an enlarged screw head which is retained in place by a washerdisposed at the forward side of the disc. Screw threads can beincorporated on the portion of the shaft extending through the rearwardside of member 2, and a nut and washer can be tightened on the shafttowards this rearward side. Likewise, screws 3 can extend from the rearsurface of member 2 and be held in place by locating the heads of thescrews in engagement with washers on this rear surface, and by means ofnuts tightened on the screws into engagement with theforward surface ofmember 2. In this form of the device, member 2 can comprise in essence aflat piece of neoprene or its equivalent, which is provided with holesinto which shaft 1 and screws 3 can be inserted.

Operation of the device is easy and straightforward. Shaft l is securedin the chuck of a power drill, and the drill is energized to run at anormal speed (in practice, a rotational speed of 1,900 revolutions perminute has been found satisfactory). The free ends of screws 3 are movedinto light engagement with the work surface, and the axis of rotation ofthe device is tiltedslightly with relation to the work surface so thedevice will not fwander" thereon. The apparatus is moved in an orderlymanner on the entire work surface untilthe entire coating is removed.This process is fast, simple, effective and safe.

The invention enjoys many advantages. It makes the removal of paint orother coating from a masonry surface a fast, non-tedious task, even ifthe surface is an uneven one such as stucco. The device is very light,and can weigh less than half a pound. Removed paint is thrown sideways(parallel to the work surface), so the operator need not wear safetygoggles. Since the plane of rotation of the device is at a slight anglerelative to the work surface, the scrapers are intermittently disengagedtherefrom, so that they can cool and avoid high heat effects due tofriction. The screw thread at the free end of each screw is burred andself-sharpened during use, renderin the screws highly effective evenwith extended use. e resilient base member effectively minimizesvibrations occurring during use of the apparatus. The device can be madeinexpensively using conventional methods, and enjoys a long life.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference toa preferred embodiment thereof, but it is to be understood thatvariations and modifications within the spirit and scope of theinvention may occur to those skilled in the art to which the inventionpertains.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for removing paint or the like from a painted surface ofpredefined contour, said apparatus comprising:

a resilient disc;

a stem rigidly coupled with said disc and extending perpendicularlyoutward from the central portion of one of the planar surfaces of saiddisc, said stem being structured to be engaged by the chuck of a powerdrill, whereby a rotationalmovement of said disc is imparted duringrotation of the chuck of such drill; and

a plurality of elongated members rigidly coupled to said disc andextending perpendicularly outward from the other planar surface of saiddisc, the free ends of said members defining a set of generally coplanarscraping surfaces which are positioned adjacent the painted surfaceduring rotation of said disc to remove paint from the surface, saidmembers having a circular cross section taken in a plane parallel to theplanar surfaces of said disc and having a spiral groove formed in thecurved surface thereof, thereby providing the free end of said memberswith a burred, self-sharpening edge regardless of wear. 2. The inventionaccording to claim 1 wherein said members comprise screws.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said screws are machinescrews.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said whereby the spacingbetween said disc. and said coplanar surfaces is adjustable.

5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said disc comprisesneoprene or its equivalent.

6. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said disc has a pluralityof holes therein for receiving said elongated members, and saidapparatus further comprises means for fixing the position of saidelongated members relative to the longitudinal axes of said holes.

7. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said elongated members arearranged to form a plurality of equilateral triangles of varying sizes,the centers of said triangles coinciding with the center of said disc,whereby said disc is dynamically balanced during rotation thereof.

8. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said disc is a moldedproduct and said elongated members are mold inserts in said disc.

1. Apparatus for removing paint or the like from a painted surface ofpredefined contour, said apparatus comprising: a resilient disc; a stemrigidly coupled with said disc and extending perpendicularly outwardfrom the central portion of one of the planar surfaces of said disc,said stem being structured to be engaged by the chuck of a power drill,whereby a rotational movement of said disc is imparted during rotationof the chuck of such drill; and a plurality of elongated members rigidlycoupled to said disc and extending perpendicularly outward from theother planar surface of said disc, the free ends of said membersdefining a set of generally coplanar scraping surfaces which arepositioned adjacent the painted surface During rotation of said disc toremove paint from the surface, said members having a circular crosssection taken in a plane parallel to the planar surfaces of said discand having a spiral groove formed in the curved surface thereof, therebyproviding the free end of said members with a burred, self-sharpeningedge regardless of wear.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 whereinsaid members comprise screws.
 3. The invention according to claim 2wherein said screws are machine screws.
 4. The invention according toclaim 1 wherein said elongated members are adjustable relative to saiddisc whereby the spacing between said disc and said coplanar surfaces isadjustable.
 5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said disccomprises neoprene or its equivalent.
 6. The invention according toclaim 1 wherein said disc has a plurality of holes therein for receivingsaid elongated members, and said apparatus further comprises means forfixing the position of said elongated members relative to thelongitudinal axes of said holes.
 7. The invention according to claim 1wherein said elongated members are arranged to form a plurality ofequilateral triangles of varying sizes, the centers of said trianglescoinciding with the center of said disc, whereby said disc isdynamically balanced during rotation thereof.
 8. The invention accordingto claim 1 wherein said disc is a molded product and said elongatedmembers are mold inserts in said disc.